FieldQuant is a portable and field-ready qPCR unit that provides a flexibility in onsite microbial DNA analysis that was never previously achievable. After testing numerous technologies over the past decade, Microbial Insights has developed a field-based molecular method that meets the data quality criteria necessary for the many industries we serve.
Imagine sampling a pipeline in the middle of a desert for corrosion risk assessment or hiking miles into protected wetlands for environmental monitoring. For standard laboratory qPCR analysis those samples are collected, sometimes chemically preserved, placed on ice, and transported offsite so that they can be shipped to one of our worldwide locations. With the FieldQuant system, the DNA can be extracted and analyzed at the point of collection, answering key questions within an hour rather than weeks. Use this data to efficiently select which samples to send for laboratory analysis. Fewer samples to transport means fewer shipping headaches, fewer preservation concerns, and quicker decision making.
The FieldQuant system allows a user to analyze key gene targets at a lower price point than standard laboratory qPCR analysis. This accessibility allows site managers to perform DNA analysis of a limited target set across an entire site, the results of which can be used to prioritize additional in-depth analyses at select sampling locations.
Rent a FieldQuant for a week and analyze up to 21 samples per project. Ahead of time you will select from one of the following groupings of gene targets for each sample:
| Product | Use | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Chlor-1 | For anaerobic chlorinated solvent degradation. | DHC, BVC, TCE, VCR, DHG, DHBt, and DCA |
| Petro-1 | For aerobic petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. | TOD, NAH, PHE, RMO, ALK |
| MIC-1 | For microbiologically influenced corrosion. | EBAC, APS, AGN, IRB, FEOB |
| Sour-1 | For microbial source tracking. | EBAC, APS, APSX , SRA |
| MST-1 | For microbial source tracking. | GenBAC, TECOLI, HF183, DBACT, BacR, Rum2Bac, GULL-CAT, and CGBACT-1,2 |
After obtaining each sample, users will follow simple steps to extract the DNA in the field, on the tailgate of their truck, or even back at their hotel room. The FieldQuant can then be used to analyze three samples at a time for the groupings of gene targets that were pre-selected. Never used the FieldQuant before? No problem. The app will walk you through the procedure so even someone with no laboratory experience can run it.
Once the samples are analyzed, the user submits the data to Microbial Insights system and a report is automatically generated and sent to the designated report recipient – any time of day or night.
Use the reported actionable data to make fast decisions in order to achieve key strategic goals for your project, and use it to decide which additional samples should be shipped to Microbial Insights for more in-depth laboratory analyses.
For the first time in history you have the quality and reputation of Microbial Insights’ gene target assays combined with the flexibility of a field-based technology – all, quite literally, in the palm of your hand.